Does Johnny Weir have a competitive spirit?

I think Johnny is a beautiful skater. His lines, posture and movements across the ice are as graceful as any skater before, but do you think that he has the competitive spirit it takes to win a major title, such as worlds or Olympics? He has often said that he wants to make a mark and make skating interesting, but hasn't really worried much about his placement. Even at the Olympics he claimed that he didn't really care where he ended up in the standings. Do you think he really has the fire to turn it on in competition? Of course, we have seen him really come through before, so I hope he has the same passion for competing as he does for performing.

I know that there are many that don't like Evan L's style, but one thing you have to admit is that he is an awesome competitor! I really wonder if he will be our national champion this year! I do like his style and loved his "Carmen," but I would rather not see it again this year.

I am so excited to see the outcome of nationals this year as there has been so much talk of Johnny being put on the backburner to Evan.

I'm just not sure if Johnny gets into a competitive zone before he skates. Of course, I can't read his mind and I don't really know what he is thinking, but thats just what it looks like to me.

What do you think? Will Johnny turn on the competitive fire this season? He certainly has the potential to be the best in the world, if he really goes for it!

I think that he definitely has what it takes, and he definitely has the "competitive" spirit. Afterall, he won 3 US titles in a row, and that's quite an accomplishment.

Johnny also always does best when he is an underdog. He won 2004 nats after everyone wrote him off. His problem this season stems from his struggle with pressure/expectations and his numerous injuries.

The only time that he really "choked" this season was at the Olympics free skate, in large part because he did so well in the short that he couldn't deal with the pressure. I think that in order to become the world champion, Johnny needs to learn how to skate great when you are already ahead, because he is good at coming from behind already.

I actually think that he will be really on this season, because his last season was so disappointing to him. He usually does best when people put him down, and sadly there has been a lot of that last season.

Kurt Browning says "Johnny is too busy being Johnny." So competitive spirit or not he needs to care less about his image and concentrate more on what he does on the ice and why he is there in the first place.

I agree that Johnny does his best when he is an underdog. When he is expected to win or medal, he sometimes suffers (like at the Olympics).

Johnny's already stated that his goal for next season is to be World Champion. So there's definitey some competitive fire going there. Whether he reaches his goal or not, I do think he will do much better than last season. I think he's learned a lot from his 05-06 experiences.

Kurt Browning says "Johnny is too busy being Johnny." So competitive spirit or not he needs to care less about his image and concentrate more on what he does on the ice and why he is there in the first place.

Just my humble opinion of course.

And Kurt Browning needs to stop trying to be cool and "witty" and concentrate more on commentating properly.

I think that Weir could be a great competitor in international events, but he has to find the right mental attitude that works for him. Also he needs to learn true concentration in competitions, in my opinion. It was horrible the way he missed the bus at the Olympics, something like that will never happen to a skater who is concentrated in matters concerning the skating and competition only.

I hope that this season Weir has learned a lot from past season&#180;s mistakes and will be able to concentrate on training his programmes at practices and not having to use precious time for changing his programmes again and again, hmmm. Or will he repeat the same mistakes regarding the programmes also this season? I sure hope that Weir understands about CoP now and how to use the system for his own advantage.

Maybe Weir succeeds better now that there is no QR at Worlds? I don&#180;t put much worth on the fact who has won the US Nationals, because that is not important. Important is only the fact that a skater is among those three that will skate at Worlds.

Weir is one of my big favourites and I wish him a very successful season!!!

Yes, Jaana I think you're right. Weir must have spent a lot of time changing programs. He could have used that time to really focus in on his elements and working the COP. Hopefully this year will be different and his music will allow him to skate with that passion that makes him so special.

I'm also glad to hear that he plans to be world champion this year! An awesome goal...

I think last year he spent a lot of time being depressed that his Russian LP didn't do anything for the judges or audiences. He really thought that program was going to be classic and COP friendly.

Can't wait to see his new programs (and costumes!) and watch the rivalry develop between him and Evan!

Johnny's not easy to figure out his mentality. For me, it was easier to see Sasha as more into glamour of skating than competitive skating. She had it all but much to much stardust in her eyes. JMO. And Johnny, for me, is leaning in that direction. If he thinks more about competitive skating as the basis for getting the glamour he so needs (JMO) he will make the gold medal.

As for Kurt Browning, I love the fact that he will say virtually ANYTHING. He tells it how it is (at least from his perspective) and that is refreshing. I think its fun to hear the comments he makes about costumes and people's lack of training. He isn't a cookie cutter commentator and we need someone to mix it up in the booth, just like Johnny does on the ice.

Plus, Kurt is sooo great to have in the crowd. He was a riot at nationals!

I'm sure Johnny has 'competitive spirit' , otherwise he wouldn't be competing at all.
There's plenty of very good figure skaters who never compete simply because they don't like to.....
Also, let's not forget what an extremly closed and cliquish affair top level figure skating really is.
It simply isn't enough to be good (or even the best) to win anything. Who your mother lobbied when you were 7 matters. Who you rolled your eyes at in practice one morning 10 years ago matters.When and where you started matters. Who your buddies are matters. Which country or region of said country you're from matters. Your looks matter. Your style (skating, clothing, life in general) matters. Who your coaches/teachers are and were matters.
And so forth and so on.
Johnny just may not have all the right ingredients in the right places at the right time to ever win anything of note, who knows.

From his most recent interviews and Q&A sessions, he seems to have undergone a big change insofar as the way he sees himself as a skater. At the start of last season, he seemed almost burnt out and negative and said things like winning medals or championships wasn't what he was about.

He seems to have undergone a 180 degree change and now says he wants to win every competition he enters. I think he has learned a lot from all the upheaval of last season (much of it his own doing) and is ready now to just go out there and SKATE.

He seems to have undergone a 180 degree change and now says he wants to win every competition he enters. I think he has learned a lot from all the upheaval of last season (much of it his own doing) and is ready now to just go out there and SKATE.

Let'a hope he doesn't put too much emphasis on his Diary and telling us all about the celebrities he now knows. Practice, practice, practice is the way to Carnegie Hall (not the subway).

I think he has a basic competitive spirit, but certainly not a well-developed one. I think part of that might be due the fact that he is such a natural talent, which is evident in the fact that he got into skating so late and look where he got after only a few short years compared to most other skaters who usually don't get that far in the same amount of time (ESPECIALLY the men, who tend to peak later than the ladies). If one is such a natural at it, one doesn't have to work as hard*; thus it becomes -- relatively speaking -- too easy, so it's difficult to develop the "edge" one needs to become a real competitior. Just look at two other examples of tremendous natural talent in the sport -- Christopher Bowman and Tonya Harding. These are two people who could be incredible without even half trying, and neither were known for being fierce competitiors. IMHO if you have to work harder for it, then by the time you get there the "spirit" has really kicked in.

{* Don't get me wrong -- I'm sure he works hard, all these skaters work hard -- BUT IMO some just have to work harder than others, as it is with all areas of life in general.}

Also, Johnny, I think more than any other top skater except maybe Toller Cranston (who came from an earlier generation with an entirely different mindset), truly has "zee artistique temprament" and that can often be at odds with the "I'm gonna go out there and kick that guy's butt" mentality.

All that being said, I don't see any reason why he couldn't DEVELOP one, if he wants it bad enough.

NOT fair to compare Weir with Bowman, a drug addict, and Harding, a sociopath. Yes, they all had/have natural talent, but Bowman and Harding squandered it, and I don't think either of them had the close and supportive family Johnny has.